Parliamentary Consultation for the UN High-Level
Meeting on Tuberculosis

– As delivered –

Statement by H.E. Mr. Miroslav Lajčák, President of the 72^nd Session of the UN General Assembly, at Parliamentary Consultation for the UN High-Level
Meeting on Tuberculosis

Thank you to the “Global TB Caucus” for inviting me to address you this morning.

I want to start by telling you an open secret.

We have many meetings at the United Nations every day. But sometimes, these meetings produce many words but little action.

I want to assure you this will not be the case in September when the first ever High-Level Meeting on Tuberculosis will take place. And I can tell already: the TB community is determined that this will not be just another meeting.

And it certainly must not. Let me highlight why:

First, we cannot continue at this same pace. We committed to end the tuberculosis epidemic by 2030. And it is time to ramp up action to do so.

TB is preventable and curable. Yet in this modern age, it still claims over 4,500 lives daily. It is the leading cause of death among infectious diseases, including HIV.

Yes, the mortality rate is falling; but the decline is not fast enough. Yes, we are making progress with new treatments, drugs and vaccines; but the advances are much too slow.

At the same time, new challenges are on the horizon. Multi-drug resistant Tuberculosis, for example, is a big concern. In 2016, there were more than half a million new cases with resistance to our best drugs.

And when it comes to investment, there is a huge funding gap; US$2.3 billion in 2017.

These needs are urgent. We need to translate our commitments into action. In finance; in research and development; in building partnerships; and in ensuring accountability of all stakeholders.

Most of us in here know these facts. Sadly, many outside do not. Some still believe tuberculosis is a disease from years gone by. And this leads me to my second point.

September’s High-level Meeting will be crucial. It must raise awareness about the epidemic; about its impact; and about what we all need to do to end it. It will be the first time that the General Assembly focuses its attention on tuberculosis. And it will be at the highest level.

We must not waste this opportunity. We must press for bold commitments. We must insist on action.

We have to bring in the voices of the survivors, the champions and the affected. They need space to tell their stories; It is a chance to remind leaders that this is a real threat; requiring real action; to save real people.

Ladies and Gentlemen,

As parliamentarians you represent people. You know the situation on the ground. In your constituencies, communities and cities. You understand when illness devastates families; you feel the social and economic impacts; you know people’s needs and the constraints of governments.

The pledges will be made here in September. But, it will be you who will be called on to translate them into policy and legislation. It will be your responsibility to approve funding. We often make lofty declarations but do not follow through on implementation. This must not be the case. As political leaders, our commitment to improve people’s lives must remain our guiding principle.

So, I am enlisting you too in this quest. It is a push from the people and for people. September must be a true turning point in the global response to tuberculosis.

As I close, I want to assure you that, as President of the General Assembly, I will do all in my power to ensure a successful high-level meeting.

The Permanent Representatives of Japan and Antigua and Barbuda are leading consultations on the outcome document. And I am confident that they will guide delegations to an agreement, which can be turned into action with impact.

And I also recognise the importance of engaging non-state actors as partners in the fight against Tuberculosis. I will convene an interactive civil society hearing on June 4 where NGOs, parliamentarians, academia, medical associations, the private sector and people affected by TB will participate. We welcome their valuable contributions towards the final outcome of the High-Level Meeting.

And as I said at the beginning, this must be a meeting like no other. Because it’s time to deliver and I’m sure we’ll deliver.

Thank you.